Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles (Potato Pirozhnoye)

You won't find these growing in the dirt! These Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles (Potato Pirozhnoye) are not naturally grown truffles, but they are still some wonderfully tasty little nuggets.

Who remembers chocolate salami? It’s one of those desserts where the name doesn’t directly relate to the actual dessert but makes sense with an explanation! This Kartoshka is similar to that. So let me explain, folks, no need to be shocked.

As a kid, neither name made sense to me at first. The chocolate salami dessert is called a salami only in name because of its shape and appearance. It is made in a long tubule and cut into slices for serving, similar to cutting a salami sausage. There are no actual salami products in it. Just as this dessert is not made with potato. 😀

Now my own children grapple with this same idea. Similarly, this dessert is called a kartoshka, or potato, only in name. It is hard for them to comprehend what the name has to do with actual dessert, other than it kind of looks like a potato. It sure does take some reassurance every time I make it that it's not made out of potatoes.

I absolutely loved, loved these potato-looking delicious treats and of course still enjoy them very much. Kartoshka has always been one of the most popular desserts in Ukraine, just like the chocolate salami. It is super simple to make but tastes so good it makes your taste buds dance! No, truly!

What is Special about this Kartoshka Recipe

This recipe is very close to or just about the same as I remember it from childhood. It sure brings a lot of sweet childhood memories, let me know if this jogs up your memories. These soft and delicate truffles made of lightly cooked condensed milk, mixed well in butter is what holds other yummy ingredients together: toasted and crushed pecans, lots of cocoa, and vanilla make them taste irresistible! Include this in your upcoming Mother's Day, and you most likely won't fail to surprise and impress her! Enjoy! 🙂

Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles Ingredients

• White cake sponges
• Organic unsalted butter
• Lightly cooked condensed milk
• Cacao or cocoa powder
• Pecans
• Sea salt
• Pure vanilla extract

Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Make the sponge cakes. Beat 8 eggs and 1 cup of sugar for 5 minutes or until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Sift in 2 cups of flour in two additions. Mix in the flour carefully not to deflate too many air bubbles.

Divide batter equally between 2 – 9” pans greased with butter. Bake in the oven at 350 F oven for 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cake sponges cool completely (I make the sponge cakes and cook condensed milk the night before making kartoshka).

Crush sponge cakes in the food processor ½ sponge at a time.

Transfer the crumbs onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake/toast crumbs for 15 minutes in preheated oven to 350 F (180 C). Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

Crush pecans in the food processor.

Transfer to a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake/toast for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

How to Assemble Kartoshka

Cream softened butter on high for 5 minutes using a pedal mixer attachment. Add lightly cooked condensed milk and beat it together for 2 minutes, scrape the sides of the mixer bowl, and beat it again for a minute or so.

Add cake crumbs, pecan crumbs, cocoa powder, and salt into a mixer bowl with cream. Using the pedal attachment mix all of the ingredients on low for 30 seconds. Add vanilla extract and mix for another minute or until all is combined. Using an ice cream scoop (the amount of mixture is roughly ¼ of a cup), scoop the cake mixture roll it into a ball, then into an oval shape.

Place shaped kartoshka onto a platter.

Dust with cocoa powder, then transfer into mini cupcake liners. Store it in a container covered with a lid.

NOTE: I like kartoshka firm in texture. If you prefer a bit softer texture, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

If you make this Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles (Potato Pirozhnoye) Recipe, please share a picture with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag with #valyastasteofhome. I’d love to see your creations! 

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Recipe Card

Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles (Potato Pirozhnoye)

Valya's Taste of Home

This Kartoshka recipe is very close to or just about the same as I remember it from childhood. It sure brings a lot of sweet childhood memories, let me know if this jogs up your memories. These soft and delicate truffles made of lightly cooked condensed milk, mixed well in butter is what holds other yummy ingredients together: toasted and crushed pecans, lots of cocoa and vanilla make them taste irresistible! 🙂

4.78 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 55 minutes mins

Cook Time 42 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 37 minutes mins

Servings 30 truffles

Ingredients

  

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Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles Ingredients

• ▢ 2 – 9” – white sponge cakes
• ▢ 8 oz. ((226 g) – unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 14 oz. ((396 g) – lightly cooked condensed milk
• ▢ 4 tbsp. – cocoa powder + 2 tbsp. for dusting
• ▢ 1 cup – pecans
• ▢ ⅛ tsp. – sea salt
• ▢ 2 tsp. – pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

 

Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 350F. Make the sponge cakes. Beat 8 eggs and 1 cup of sugar for 5 minutes or until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Sift in 2 cups of flour two additions. Mix in the flour carefully not to deflate too many air bubbles.
• ▢
  Divide batter equally between 2 – 9” pans greased with butter. Bake in the oven at 350 F oven for 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cake sponges cool completely (I make the sponge cakes and cook condensed milk the night before making kartoshka).
• ▢
  Crush sponge cakes in the food processer½ sponge at a time.
• ▢
  Transfer the crumbs onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• ▢
  Bake/toast crumbs for 15 minutes in preheated oven to 350 F (180 C). Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
• ▢
  Crush pecans in the food processor.
• ▢
  Transfer to a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake/toast for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

Assembling Kartoshka Truffles 

• ▢
  Cream softened butter on high for 5 minutes using pedal mixer attachment. Add lightly cooked condensed milk and beat it together for 2 minutes, s scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat it again for a minute or so.
• ▢
  Add cake crumbs, pecan crumbs, cocoa powder, salt into a mixer bowl with a cream. Using pedal attachment mix all of the ingredients on low for 30 seconds. Add vanilla extract and mix for another minute or until all combined. Using ice cream scoop (the amount of mixture is roughly ¼ of a cup), scoop the cake mixture roll it into a ball, then into an oval shape.
• ▢
  Place shaped kartoshka onto a platter.
• ▢
  Dust with cocoa powder, then transfer into mini cupcake liners. Store it in the container covered with a lid.

Notes

I like kartoshka firm in texture. If you prefer it a bit softer texture, let it sit at the room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Keyword beautiful dessert, chocolate potato truffles, holiday baking, Kartoshka Chocolate Cake Truffles, Potato Pirozhnoye,, Potato Pirozhnoye

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